Gizemli Bir Mesajdan NieR: Automata Devam Oyunu İçin Yeniden Umutlar Doğdu

Hopes for a NieR: Automata sequel have surged after a 9th-anniversary livestream for the game ended with a tantalizing message: "NieR: Automata to be continued…" The game, which recently surpassed 10 million copies sold worldwide, has a dedicated fanbase eager for a new installment. The official Nier X account celebrated the sales milestone on February 20, prompting a wave of fan requests for the next game.

Adding to the speculation, The Game Awards creator and host Geoff Keighley shared a screenshot of the teaser on his own X account, leading many to wonder if he has insider information or is simply sharing his own excitement as a fan. The tease has stirred the community, though some remain skeptical, suggesting it could merely be for another crossover event rather than a fully-fledged game.

This renewed optimism stands in contrast to previous statements from series creator Yoko Taro. Last year, he mentioned that several of his projects had been discontinued, casting doubt on the financial viability of a new Nier title despite its commercial success. He highlighted the challenge of securing a budget for a new game even after selling ten million units. This created a sense of uncertainty among fans, especially when compared to earlier comments from developers who had joked they would "gladly say yes to anything for money."

I find the contrast between the past financial concerns and this new, hopeful teaser to be a significant turn of events for the franchise's future. The sudden shift from cautious pessimism to a direct "to be continued" has left the community guessing what changed behind the scenes at Square Enix.

The Nier fanbase is known for its passion, which sometimes leads to intense speculation and debate. I watched the June 10 crossover stream because I was hyped for Stellar Blade finally landing on PC and curious to see Yoko Taro riff alongside Shift Up boss Kim Hyung-Tae. What followed was a firestorm of online discussion regarding NieR: Automata censorship, more precisely, about its refutation. Furious social media threads claimed Square Enix had forced the developers to alter 2B's design to appease "Western sensibilities," with many convinced that corporate interests were dictating creative choices down to skirt lengths.

A closer examination of the stream segment suggested the controversy stemmed from nuances that were likely lost in the English subtitle translation, effectively refuting the censorship rumors. This incident serves as a reminder of how quickly narratives can form, and it parallels the current skepticism from some fans who believe the sequel tease may be another misunderstanding or simply for a smaller-scale project.

Yoko Taro has always embraced ambiguity in his work. For NieR: Automata, he set out to build a narrative that was intentionally complex and difficult to fully comprehend.

"I aimed for a story I'd have trouble grasping myself."

— Yoko Taro

His starting point was not a relatable hero, but a character designed to feel alien to the player. The story began with Simone, the large female robot who sings on stage, a character whose motivations are deliberately obscured. Taro explained that while his previous game, Nier Replicant, focused on understandable reasons for conflict, Automata was different.

"In Replicant, you always fight enemies understanding the reason why you do so. This time around, it's impossible to feel empathy. She devotes herself to a man as she dresses with corpses. I added this trait that players can't relate to."

— Yoko Taro

The game progresses through situations that are difficult to understand, weaving a convoluted story that requires multiple playthroughs to experience completely. This approach to storytelling is central to the game's identity and its creator's artistic vision.

Taro describes his writing process using an extended metaphor of making a cube out of clay. He explained that a creator is never truly finished with their work but is instead caught in a perpetual cycle of refinement.

"I would say that building a story is like making a cube out of clay. You make it, but every time you look at it, you find a side that's crooked. Then you manipulate it again, just to realise that it's crooked somewhere else. That feeling keeps going on forever. As you keep adjusting it, the deadline finally hits and you need to stop."

— Yoko Taro

This feeling of never achieving perfection is a core part of his creative experience. The final product is not the result of complete satisfaction, but rather the point at which time runs out. There is a sadness in letting go, but he does not carry leftover ideas into new projects, preferring to start again from scratch each time. This philosophy suggests that any new Nier project would be a completely fresh endeavor, aspiring to perfect a new "cube." Fans are already looking ahead, wondering what announcements might arrive by the time a hypothetical NieR: Automata 15th anniversary comes around.

Read also, Yoko shared his fears with Famitsu about the future of game development, questioning what happens when AI stops being a tool and becomes the creator, suggesting they "might become like bards."